Colombia Preview – Can Colombia take their group stage form into the knockout phase?

It’s been a very positive tournament for Colombia thus far, having finished topped of their section and winning all three group games. It was difficult to tell just where this squad of players would rank amongst South America’s best but a 2-0 win over Argentina to kick proceedings off. Whilst Argentina are in something of a disarray, they are still one of the continent’s two powerhouses. Colombia appeared to approach that game and base their approach on their opponent’s reputation. They were happy to disrupt and spoil the game in the first half, neglecting their own attacking threat. That changed in the second half when they realised there was little to fear and went on to dominate. Two excellent goals sealed the three points and set them up perfectly for what was to come.

Colombia followed that with a 1-0 win over Qatar and completed the group stage with a similar victory against Paraguay. Despite topping the group, they do face a difficult challenge in the shape of Chile.

Chile –Will Chiles’s experience be the different when they face Colombians?

Chile have won this competition the last twice with their inaugural success coming in 2015. That triumph remains the finest moment in Chilean football history as they clinched their first Copa America and done so on home soil. To then follow it up with a win in the Centenary running the tournament in the USA underlined how much of a golden generation this group of players are. The likes of Arturo Vidal and Alexis Sanchez are the prominent members of this squad, but it is an ageing one. That meant there was little in the way of expectation Chile would make it three Copa America’s in a row. Despite that, Chile have progressed to the knockout phase very comfortably. A 4-0 win over guest nation Japan and 2-1 win against Ecuador meant they were already qualified with a game to spare.

Their final match was a 1-0 loss to Uruguay and the only disappointment would be that they face a tougher quarter final. Had they gotten a point from that game it would have seen them facing Peru, however all focus is now on devising a way of beating this opponent.

Key-Facts – Colombia v Chile

Colombia have won all three games at this tournament and are yet to concede a goal in the process

Chile have won the past two Copa America’s and made it through the group in impressive fashion

The two nations met in the 2016 tournament at the semi-final stage with Chile advancing after a 2-0 win

Colombia v Chile Betting Advice

This is a re-run of the 2016 semi-final which Chile won 2-0. There are a lot of similarities from that encounter, not least because there are plenty of players in both squads reappearing again. Colombia had also been very impressive en route to that stage but failed to perform. Chile were under the care of Juan Antonio Pizzi at that point meaning Reinaldo Rueda is looking to become the third different boss that had led Chile to Copa America glory. Jorge Sampaoli was in charge in 2015.

It’s a really exciting looking game on paper but history tells us that knockout games in this competition are rarely classics. The South American approach to the game will likely see it turn into a cagey affair with emphasis on defence. Any team managed by Carlos Queiroz, as Colombia are, knows how to defence and that is the priority – they have yet to concede in this tournament. With the games coming thick and fast for what are ageing squads it’s also likely that the game is played at a slower pace. Considering all of that and a low-scoring match looks the best bet.

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* All mentioned odds were valid at the time of writing. Betting odds are subject to fluctuations. Please check the current odds with the respective bookmaker!